Water softener / water conditioner controls:

Provided here: an index to explanations of the name, purpose, and means of adjustment or setting for all of the controls that may be found on residential and light commercial water softeners.

This article series describes procedures for diagnosing and repairing water softener or water conditioner problems including water conditioner control settings and adjustment or repair, brine tank and brine tank float cleaning and repair, and the proper amount of water softening or conditioning that is needed.

Water Softener Controls

Here is a list of the controls and settings found on water softeners or water conditioners. For each item we provide a link to an article or page describing the water softener control, its purpose, and its usual setting or value.

Keep in mind that not all water softeners will sport all of these settings or controls.

Water Softener Control Article Series

• WATER SOFTENER CONTROLS & OPERATION - home
• WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS
  • 4 BASIC WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENTS
  • 6 WATER SOFTENER CONTROL SETTING DETAILS
  • RECOMMENDED SETTINGS for WATER SOFTENERS
  • WATER SOFTENER CLOCK SETTINGS
  • WATER SOFTENER ELECTRONIC CONTROL SETTINGS
• BRINE TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - float adjustment, brine tank levels
• WATER SOFTENER CAPACITY SETTING - Kg of hardness that can be removed before regeneration is needed
• WATER SOFTENER CONTROL BYPASS VALVE - how to put the softener in or out of use
• WATER SOFTENER OPERATING CYCLES - steps in service cycle & regen cycle, what parts & controls are involved
• WATER SOFTENER MANUAL REGENERATION
• WATER SOFTENER REGENERATION CYCLE DURATION - how long should the regeneration last
• WATER SOFTENER REGENERATION CYCLE FREQUENCY - how often should the regeneration cycle repeat
• WATER SOFTENER SALT DOSE SETTING - how to set the right salt dose
• WATER CONDITIONER / SOFTENER MANUALS - exact descriptions of the controls for specific water softener brands & models

Question: how do we figure out the right settings for our water softener controls

How do I set the regeneration push pins on my Commers Model 24C?

How do we figure out the settings for our Autotrol 255/460i water softener? Our water hardness is 30 gpg and we have 2 ppm of iron.

We are trying to figure out what to set our softener at. We have a 60,000 Autotrol 255/460i. Our hardness is 30gpg, we have 2ppm of iron, and we have 5 people in our home. Can you help me out in trying to figure out the capacity setting, and the salt dial? - Krystine / Deloras

Hey there, thanks for the awesome website!
I have a Commers Model 24C. The thing just isn't working at all. I think the regeneration cycle isn't set right. I have no idea what to do with the push/pull pins, or what the red arrow thingy means on the push pin area.

There is another dial that is 1-16, and I set it in the middle to 8 just now, though I have no idea what to do. Could you please tell me how to set this water softener please? Note: I have 5 people, we use lots of water, and right now it is totally hard. - Tim

Reply:

Krystine, and Tim: in the article at WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS we describe how the water softener is typically set based on water usage and grains of hardness, and we include tables that show suggested salt doses and recharge frequency for hard water.

In a separate article DIAGNOSE WATER SOFTENER PROBLEMS we discuss what to do if the water softener is not working.

In general, adjust the water softener capacity setting according to your manual and our examples discussed throughout the article above.

If you don't have a manual for your Autotrol, let me know and I can help you find one. Autotrol water softeners are produced by GE Osmonics (see GEWater.com). A sketch of your control is shown at left.

Typically capacity for a water softener is a number from 1 to 99 kilograins of hardness.

Suppose your water conditioner capacity setting is adjusted to 30 kilograins (1st column at left side of the salt dose able).

The softener regen cycle may need to be more frequent depending on your actual water volume use - you'll know that your softener is not regenerating often enough when you can't get a shampoo lather going in the shower.

How the Push-Pull "Skipper" Pins work on a water softener regen cycle control

Tim: about those pushpins on the water conditioner control dial:

On some water softener controls such as yours and the example we show in the photograph (above left), the push pins or levers (Autotrol manuals refer to these as Skipper Pins mounted on the Skipper Wheel) are mounted on a round dial that rotates under control of the water conditioner timer or "clock".

There may be seven such pins, corresponding to 7 days of a weekly cycle, or (on the unit above) 12 such pins, giving control of the water conditioner on a 12-day cycle.

On our photo example at left each pin inserted into the water conditioner timer dial will add two minutes to the softener regeneration cycle time.

Water conditioners (water softeners) may work differently on which way to push or pull the pin (see your manual or instructions printed right on the control cover) but on most, pulling the pin out skips that regen day or period while pushing the pin in (towards the control) means a regen cycle will occur at that day or period.

The skipper pins or tabs are a small metal tab mounted on the control wheel. When a pin is pushed in (towards the control), as the dial is rotated by the timer, the tab comes into contact with a mechanical switch that actually starts a regen cycle.

So on a 7 day control you can have a regen cycle every day (push in all the pins) or every other day, or once a week, etc. The 12-pin dial is allowing you to set the regen cycle less often, to as little as once in 12 days.

Below, using an older Culligan water conditioner illustration as a model we illustrate:

• The salt dose (the green arrow in our illustration) which may be your other "dial" on your machine) (on machines that have that control) is set depending on water hardness.
  
  To change the salt dose you'll have to loosen a setscrew.
  
  See WATER SOFTENER SALT DOSE SETTING for details.
• The water softener regen cycle frequency (the blue arrow in our illustration, which is one of the dials on machines like yours) is set depending on the rate of water usage in the home. Using more water means you need to run a regeneration cycle on the water conditioner more often.
  
  See WATER SOFTENER REGENERATION CYCLE FREQUENCY for details, or try setting your machine to every other day (as you have 5 people in the home, using a lot of water) and see how that works.
• A clock dial or timer adjustment (the red arrow in our illustration ) allows you to set the timer for your equipment to the right time of day or night.
  
  Your machine will work regardless of whether it really knows what time it is, but setting it to the correct hour and AM or PM will allow the machine to perform its regen cycle late at night when no one is running water.

Even without the instruction manual (I'd ask the manufacturer to send one if you don't have it), you can figure out which way the push-pull pins operate by manually rotating the dial. You'll see that a pin trips the softener to run through a regen cycle as you rotate the dial.

Follow-up from Kristine / Deloras:

I Wrote a question on 10/20/11 about my Autotrol 255valve/400 series. That water keeps flowing out of the drain hose. The book said to change the valve stem return spring. Where do I find this spring, the manual does not show where this is located on a diagram.

Reply:

Deloras or Kristine: because you are describing a water softener that seems to be stuck in regen cycle, endlessly pumping briny water thorough the resin tank, I suspect a problem in the control mounted on the softener itself, not the brine refill control in the salt tank.

(If it were the brine refill control that were stuck your salt tank would fill up with water).

The valve stem return spring will be inside the primary control. It is not a part that you are expected to replace yourself. You will need to contact your Autotrol dealer for service.

Question:

(Feb 11, 2013) Sarg s. said:

The city recently came in and changed our water reader and once they did our water consumption went from 10,500 gallons to 55,500 gallons of water in a 28 day cycle. The only thing running when we were notified was the water softener BUT I do not know for sure if it was in its cycle for the day or if it was the problem. The thing is the city just replaced their head in our basement a day before we started wasting water. WHat gives, if anything? Is this normal or was it just our luck? Any ideas would be great. Thanks

Question:

(Feb 15, 2013) Shannon - in New Castle said:

I'm new to having a water softener.. I don't know how to use this thing, don't know how to adjust it, and can't get it to cycle. How often should it cycle for 2 people living in the house? There are NO stickers or labels on it anywhere to tell me what make/model/mnfctr it is either. I'm pretty sure the dern thing hasn't run in over a week now, the water is starting to smell really strong... HALP!

Reply:

x

Question:

(Feb 8, 2014) kawika said:

Similar to the question "discolored water after water softener regen cycle". I cleaned the brine tank but I still get discolored water afar regeneration. We have only noticed the discoloration in the 2nd bath toilet and tub, nowhere else. it clears up after 3 flushes.

Reply:

Kawika, I'm just guessing, but it seems to me that if water looks different colors at different fixtures in the building I'd think the root source is not the softner (that all water passes through) but perhaps the piping or some other contaminant, or iron, or debris source.

If you see it mostly at a toilet it could be worth cleaning debris out of the toilet tank too.

Reader says:

he discoloration is only present immediately after a regeneration cycle. Why only in the toilet/tub is unknown. If it were the piping or other source it should be present at all times.

Reply:

K
I agree with your reasoning, more or less; sometimes a fixture that runs water faster (like a tub) will stir up and show debris that slower running fixtures don't. A toilet would offer the opposite explanation: debris often accumulates in the toilet tank - in part because the relatively slow fill rate doesn't stir it up enough to flush out when the toilet is flushed.

Start (because it's easy) by taking a look in the toilet tank; look for deposits on the tank walls or crud on the tank bottom; that may point to a water supply debris problem; if there are yellow stains but no deposits more often that points to iron in the water;

With that simple look out of the way and assuming we want to pursue the water softener, I'd check the softner brine tank - in these articles we describe cleaning and disinfecting the brine tank. It's tempting to also run a disinfectant cycle through the water softner itself but I would not do that without knowing the brand and model and then checking the manufacturer's cleaning instructions.

Summarizing: try:

1. checking and cleaning the brine tank
2. running the softener through an extra regen cycle

Reader says:

Toilet tank is clean. Cleaned brine tank, manually ran two regenerations…next scheduled regeneration had no water discoloration…latest regeneration (Today) had the discoloration back in toilet (cleared after 4 flushes).

Reply:

K
are we certain that the incoming water from the source is not the origin of the discoloration you're seeing? Have you tested that water - ahead of any treatment equipment?

Question: white residue in dishwasher

(Feb 16, 2014) stanley costello said:

i get a light powder like residue on my dishes after a dishwashing cycle

Reply:

Stanley,

I've seen this deposit in more than one circumstance: using too much dishwasher detergent, very hard water supply, and on occasion, debris that needs to be cleaned from the dishwasher bottom.

Question:

(June 7, 2014) Ann said:

Just set up new digital water softener. finished settings and run regeneration cycle. It carried out regeneration adn then started cycle all over again ? what is wrong pleaase - what should I do?

Question: replace algae-contaminated water softener?

(June 9, 2014) David Williams said:

have well water system. had a bad algae bloom. water co. said softener had to be replaced. could it have been cleaned, repaired instead?

Reply:

David

I'm unclear why a dirty water softener would need replacement; someone is giving expensive advice that's safe for them and costly for you. Instead I would follow the water softener cleaning and disinfection procedure in your water softener's instruction manual or see our water softener cleaning procedure article at

inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water_Softener_Cleaning.php

Question: cleaned water softener, lost prime

(June 29, 2014) Dave said:

I cleaned my water softner tank and now I can't get the prime back. Please help!

Reply:

Dave,

If you mean your well pump has lost prime just search inspectApedia for "LOST WELL PRIME" or "HOW TO PRIME THE PUMP" to see procedural details.

If you mean the water softener is not filling the brine tank you will want to check for disconnected tubing, a clogged check valve, or a clogged or improperly set (e.g. on bypass) control valve.

...

Continue reading  at WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Water Softener Diagnosis & Repair Articles

• DIAGNOSE WATER SOFTENER PROBLEMS
• SALT DOSE SETTING, WATER SOFTENER
• WATER SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS
• WATER SOFTENER BYPASS VALVE
• WATER SOFTENER CONTROLS & OPERATION
• WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS - home
• WATER SOFTENER OPERATING CYCLES
• WATER SOFTENER MANUALS

Suggested citation for this web page

WATER SOFTENER CONTROLS & OPERATION at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

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Citations & References

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